


No Such Thing As Mistakes

by nukaqueen



Category: Fallout - Fandom, Fallout 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Flashbacks, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-10-17 20:23:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10601550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nukaqueen/pseuds/nukaqueen
Summary: We went through the building mostly silent except for Danse barking commands at me. Hancock followed behind, with me in the middle. I heard him chuckle to himself more than once, and could just feel his eyes resting very few minutes on my ass. Danse stopped in an empty room, telling us to search for a way in, and I took the chance to spin around, catching John in the act. "You could take a picture, it would probably last longer for ya." I glared at him, one hand on my hip, the other resting on my 10mm. He put his hands up, feigning surrender, but his eyes narrowed, and he started to walk, no, stalk towards me, like a lion coming after a gazelle. His gaze darkened, and his lips pulled back in a menacing grin, baring teeth at me while he let out a deep "heh.""You really think that's gonna stop me, sister? You know me, once I get a taste, I just gotta have more. And I always get what I want."The way his voiced wrapped around me, like silk and whiskey , the way he seemed to be brushing my skin with just his words, something about it hit me hard. For a few seconds, I was under his spell, unable to look away from his intense stare.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a super short first chapter, but it was my first attempt and I really loved it. I'll probably edit it later. It's important to note this is definitely gonna be Canon Divergent, and won't match up a lot of the stuff in the game. Eventual romance and Smut but you gonna hang it in for the long haul!

I wake up to the sound of gunshots. Again.

Living in the Commonwealth means that getting a full nights rest is something you shouldn't ever expect. It's never a promise. Hell, sometimes one hour of sleep is too much to ask for. 

I shot out of bed, my pipe pistol already in my hand, and ran out of the bunker. The din of fighting is overwhelming, and I can hear the harsh sounds of feral ghouls shrieking as they attack the other settlers. I see Preston Garvey, my second in command, fending off one while another runs towards his back. BAM. My arm goes up and I pull the trigger faster than the monster can take another step toward him. He looks over his shoulder at me while he buries his knife in the head of another, nodding his cowboy hat in gratitude. I whirl around, and head up the ladder to the guardstower I installed just yesterday. Thank god I did, because it give me the perfect position to wipe out the last of the ghouls that are terrorizing my settlement. 

I climb back down, and raise my voice. "Everyone okay? What's the damage Sturges?"

He jogs over to me, wiping blood off the goggles that are always around his neck. I look down at him while he adjusts his coveralls.  
"The turrets on the bridge are down, definitely gonna need repairs. The east wall was torn to pieces, and it's gonna take at least a few days to fix it General."  
He steps towards me, leaning in, and whispers in a low voice, "They destroyed Mama Murphys chair too, she's gonna be pissed when she finds out, so keep the chems away for a bit, huh?"

I let out a small laugh, but can't bring myself to smile, knowing the work that lays ahead of us all right now. I didn't need a reminder of how weak our defenses were at the moment. We got hit last week with a big group of raiders, and it was slow work to repair everything after that. Such a small hit tonight just showed me how they weren't ready for me to head out on another scavenging expedition, even though we needed it. All these repairs meant we needed more scrap, and we picked Sanctuary dry months ago. 

Being the leader of all these settlements was tough, but a duty I gladly accepted. It's amazing how far I've come since leaving the Vault. From a "woman out of time," caring only about the pursuit of my lost son, and husbands killer, to the Leader of the Minutemen, member of the Railroad, enemy of the Brotherhood of Steel, and most influential and powerful person in the Commonwealth. No, it wasn't easy at all. But it was life now, and I loved it. I loved helping these people. 

Now that I'm up, I might as well get to work. I grumble to myself, wishing I'd at least gotten a few more hours of sleep. I set about the task of delegating work to the settlers who are staying around, most of them too rattled from the ghoul attack to sleep again. I was glad to see Marcy and Jun helping, so soon after losing their son; I knew their pain too well, and had hoped they would take my advice of being productive to keep their minds off it. I head off to plan my long overdue trip to get supplies. The map I made of the Commonwealth had come in handy more times than I could count, including as a way to track settlement traders, areas of particularly heavy enemy territory, and of course, all of my allies. After careful consideration, I decide to try to make my way further south than I've been before. 

I start packing my bag, trying to take everything I think I might need; a good amount of stimpaks, plenty of purified water, mentats(my preferred addiction), jet, more ammo than one person should really need, and my all-time-favorite, pork n’ beans. I clued Preston in, distracted as he tended to the settlements food supplies. He reminded me, like some father I’d forgotten was mine, to try to stay on the roads, instead of going off to explore random ruins for supplies. 

“I know we need them, but a couple wires and steel aren’t worth our General being gutted by a super mutant, you know?” I laughed lightheartedly, promised to be smart, and headed out on my way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly a filler chapter, just to cover my bases and give me a chance to explore Maya's character. Very little dialogue, and kind of lengthly, so you can skip it if you like, nothing earth shattering or important to the story necessarily. Let me know what you think!

I set out a little after one p.m. on foot, pockets stuffed with ammo and water and stimpaks. Everything was going exceedingly well. There was little to no resistance on the road, save for the occasional raider or mole rat. Following the old road was easy and it took me farther and farther south. A few hours later, I saw a sign that read "Drumlin Diner" and decided it was time to take a break to eat and rehydrate. Unfortunately, the diner was already inhabited, and I walked up to the parking lot, only to find some Chem dealers harassing an older woman who hid inside the diner. I catch the tail end of their argument, which consisted of her threatening to shoot the man if he tried to come in, and him threatening to get his money back one way or another. Cautiously, I edge closer, one hand on my gun. The man spots me out the corner of his eye, and turns on me.  
"hey you!" he yells, "Wanna makes some easy money? Help me out. I could use another hired gun. Or maybe you think you can talk some sense into her?"  
I'm surprised that the man is open to a peaceful ending to this, because he definitely looks like someone who would be okay with just shooting the woman and leaving. Suspicious of the strangers, I peek over his shoulder at the rough looking woman behind him. "That there's Simone, I'm Wolfgang. Here's the situation. Ole Trudy over there has a son, Patrick, and he decided to start experimentin' with chems. I gave him some Jet, and he promised to pay me back. Well guess what? He's taken half my shit, and I've got nothin! So either _he's_ gonna pay up, or his _momma's_ gonna pay. What do you think?"  
I sigh and shake my head. Always the diplomatic one, I offer a solution.  
"Alright alright, I'll go talk to her. Put the damn guns away." I look at the man in disgust, waving his shotgun in the face of an older woman. Maybe this world really has gone to shit.  
I turn on my heels and walk stiffly towards the door of the diner, where an older woman is waiting, watching us.  
"Sorry but we're closed for business. You can thank the poison-seller outside for that." Her voice is rough, like she's smoked cigars and drank whiskey her whole life. But I can see the stress on her face. Behind her, cowering in a corner I can see a young boy, arms wrapped around his knees, with a bad case of the shakes. I nod my head towards him.  
"That must be Patrick."  
"I don't know what lies he told you, but my son ain't no chem addict. And that monster won't get a single cap out of us!" She shifts her position in front of my view of Patrick, and her voice is getting more and more shrill. Motherly instincts or not, I've been here long enough to know that everyone out here is trying to survive, and that means payment when payment is due.  
"Look Trudy, just pay the guy. Then you and your son can move on, he gets what he wants and leaves you alone. It's a win-win."  
For a moment I thought she was going to scream at me again, her lips pressed into a thin line, and her brow furrowed. Finally, she let out a deep breath and her body shrank. "I…I can't… This ain't the first time he's done it, and I just don't have the money. Not unless we wanna starve."  
Without hesitation, I whip out a bag of caps, and put them in her hand. "Here. Pay him. Make him leave. Move on and get your kid some help. And if you need help, or a safer place to go, Sanctuary Hills is a settlement north of here. If you're willing to work, we can definitely use the help." She looked like she was going to cry, so I turn and walk out the door. I lean against the diner walls as Trudy came out, caps in hand and threw them to the ground at Wolfgang's feet. "Here, you heathen. Now leave us be, and don't you dare sell my son anymore of that shit!" She went back to the diner, slamming the door shut and locking it.  
Wolfgang picked up the caps with a satisfied grin on his face. He looked up at me. "I don't know how you got through that old bat, but thanks. Next time I see ya, maybe I'll give you a discount, yeah? Good luck." He leaves, with Simone following him. Somehow, she managed to look uninterested and also like she wanted to kill me. I gave her an ice-y stare in return, and decided it was best to stay moving.  
The rest of the night was uneventful, save for a synth who "came out" to his friends, only for them to try to kill him. I intervened, saving his life and threatening the other two men against harming him. The boy ran out of the house, distraught, but mentioned going to Bunker Hill. After I had left the house, I mused on how long it had been since I'd been to Bunker Hill. Not since I helped the Railroad in that fight with the Institute. I made a note in my Pip-Boy to take a trip there, check in on one of my most independent and successful settlements.  
It was approaching nightfall, and the closer I got to the river, the more ghouls there seemed to be. They weren't really a problem, mostly attracted to sound, and myself being exceptionally stealthy, but it was still unnerving to sneak around them like sleeping children.  
I spent a large part of my trip thinking about ghouls, and trying to understand why some of them became feral, and some were perfectly normal. It almost seemed…comical, in its unfairness. In fact, I couldn't understand why a lot of things were happening that you wouldn't think could happen. Why did the institute make synths or create something as awful as the FEV virus? Humanity had taken a turn for the worse it seemed. And then I thought back to some of the things that occurred prewar. We had dictators, genocide, abusers, murderers… some of the things that many of the people in this new Commonwealth probably identified as.  
Tired of my miserably negative thoughts, I turn on my radio to Diamond City, and catch myself singing along to Atom Bomb Baby. I love and hate that this music never changes.  
Next thing I know, I'm standing before a ruined bridge, sunken in several places into the river. I curse, hoping that somewhere down the river there's an intact bridge. Swimming was not what I had in mind. I sigh, and search the area for a safe place to rest for the night. Checking the time, it's seven hours after I left Sanctuary. I huff proudly. _Not bad timing at all._  
I spot an old bus that seemed mostly in tact, and decide that's as safe as it's gonna get for the night. Sitting on the steps, I light a cigarette and stare over the river at the buildings that towered over everything. I saw the green hue of lights from Diamond City, and the big Mass Fusion sign glaring at me. An hour or so passes and I continue to just smoke and stare. I remember this view from before I was frozen. The river was beautiful, the bridges were monumental, however terrified I was as a kid to go over them. Nothing seemed worse to my ten year old self than falling off the bridge and sinking into the water below. I laugh to myself at the thought. I wish drowning was the most of my worries.  
Sighing, I pull a knife out, and go into the bus, cutting the little bits of cushion left on them off, and making them into a pillow of sorts. I take a tripwire, setting it up in the doorway of the bus, leaving a trap and an alarm in case anything tries to sneak in on me, and I retire for the night, using my bag as a pillow.  
I drift asleep quickly in the quiet, lulled by the distant gunshots I hear.  
\---------  
_All I see is red. Red walls. Red carpets. Red furniture. Nate stands in the center, dressed in his army fatigues._  
_He looks at me, face contorted in rage. The hate in his eyes makes my bones shake._  
_"Why, Maya? Why me? Why did I end up here with you?"_  
_The room starts spinning, violently, and I want to throw up. I open my mouth to scream but no sounds escape my lips. It's dead silent and I can't even hear myself breathing. I hear nothing._  
_WHY?!? Nates voice screams like nothing I've ever heard, starting at a whisper and building quickly. I feel bile in the back of my throat. Why? Why why why why why why why wh-_

____

I'm startled awake , ripping myself violently up off the floor, my pistol in hand. Scanning the area, I take a deep breath, and try to shake off the nightmare. I open a bottle of water and chug some, splashing my face to get rid of the sweat. A sour taste lingers in my mouth as I take apart the trip wire and traps I set up the night before, and shaky hands open my cigarettes, pulling one out and lighting it in one smooth motion. Rubbing my face to get the blood flowing, I stretch my neck and prepare mentally for the coming day. I check the time, only 6 in the morning. _It's never enough sleep._  
I head out anyways, another cigarette hanging between my lips. Looking up and down the river bank, I spot a bridge that seems mostly intact, and head that direction. _Better over than through._  
\------- 

A few hours later, I find myself in the financial district. It's a disaster, the rumors from traders not doing the destruction any justice. It seems like there are more raiders and supermutants this side of the river, and my body screams with every step, tired of fighting nonstop. I spend some time sneaking through the ruined buildings, grabbing anything that's not nailed down. I frown while I try to remember what exactly I needed for more laser turrets, but the part escapes me. _Better to grab everything. Just in case._  
As I put my nose to the ground, I rummage aimlessly through the rubble in the streets, pulling bits and pieces I find that can be turned into something useful back at Sanctuary. I curse at myself for not making a list of everything we needed for repairs. The whole time, I have my hand on my gun, careful not to make too much noise. There were more enemies around here than buildings, and I was tired of fighting with them. I was mulling over how nice it would be to get a hot bath, a cold bath, hell any kind of bath, when I round a corner and immediately become blind.  
I raise my gun up in a flash, shooting a few rounds and squatting low to the ground, sure that someone has used a flashlight or some other contraption to make me an easy target. But nothing shoots or attacks me, and slowly my eyes adjust to the steady light. Squinting my eyes together, I stare at the source and realize they're letters, a neon sign hoisted onto a wall. "GOODNEIGHBOR," with an arrow pointing to the right.  
I'd heard rumors of this place, where bandits, ghouls, and synths alike hide out. The congregation point for all those rejected from Diamond City for one reason or another. The center of all trouble, and the booming Chem trade. I'd also heard stories of their "mayor," a should named Hancock who was ruthless, but faithful to the town and it's denizens.  
As if it's reputation wasn't enough, the walls towered over me, looking secure but covered in half nude pre-war posters for this and that. I was sure there was somewhere to rest beyond the door, but wasn't even considering going in until I was positive it was safe. So, I did a few walk arounds of the outer wall, looking for weak points, other doors, sewer drains into the city. I found nothing, and when I finally decided to enter into the town, I knew at the very least the only thing I was in danger from was within the walls, and wouldn't come from outside of them. I put my hands on the rough metal door, and push it open.


	3. Chapter 3

I walked through the door skeptically. The bright lights seemed off to me. After months of sneaking around, trying more than anything to stay in the shadows, the lights from the sign that screamed "Goodneighbor" made me uneasy. I didn't know what to expect here, but I kept all the rumors I'd heard in mind. Ghouls, ex-scavvers, I even heard about a "reformed" assaultron. I didn't know what to expect exactly, but I was wary when I took in the store fronts in front of me, and the few people wandering the small area.  
A tall man in a leather jacket walks towards me, and I can spot a scalper a mile away. I sigh, and pull out my cigarettes, pulling one filter out of the pack with my lips as I watch him get closer to me. Taking a long drag, the man lights up one of his own, and leans in to me with an ugly grin on his face.  
"First time in Goodneighbor? You don't wanna be walking around here without insurance."  
I take another hit drawing it out, holding it in while I obviously rake my eyes over this man. I'm unimpressed, and considering how far I walked to get here, a little pissed that he's standing in between me and a potential bed.  
"Unless it's "keep-assholes-away-from-me insurance, I'm not interested. I'm only saying this once- back off."  
He gives me a humourless laugh, and I see him reach behind him, probably for a weapon to threaten me with. "Listen here, you little bitch," sure enough, he pulls out a large knife, and brings it up, pointing it at my face. "This is what's gonna happen. You're gonna empty them pockets, or big, bloody accidents are gonna start happening. You don't want that, do ya?"  
Cigarette hanging from my lips, I take a quick step towards him, almost chest to chest, and look up into his face. I grab the hand holding the knife, and press it tightly against my throat, just enough that it almost hurts. "This is what's gonna happen, you little bitch. You're gonna back the fuck up, and get out of my face, and maybe you can walk away from this unharmed. I'm fought and killed bigger and better men than you. Not interested in wasting my time here anymore." My grip on his hand is like iron, and I can feel his hand begin to shake ever so slightly, like my words might have hit a nerve that he wasn't expecting. A moment later, his eyes fall, face glowing red in embarrassment, and takes a few steps backwards, moving out of my way. I take a drag off my cigarette, and look away from him, rolling the cherry out between my fingers and flicking the butt and his shoes.  
In my periphery, I see a blur of red start to move towards us. The figure had been watching the whole time, unmoving and silent, but now had decided on action. Inwardly I groan as I lock my knees and turn uninterested eyes onto this new figure.  
Out from the shadows is a ghoul wearing the most ridiculous getup I've ever seen. A red frock coat, complete with black slacks, white ruffled undershirt, and a tricorn hat to top the ensemble. From the rumors I'd heard, I could only guess this was Hancock. He swaggers towards me, a look of interest and disdain on his face as he appraises me, and the man who hassled me. Suddenly I notice there's no noise in the city it seems, except for the sound of his boots hitting the concrete. It was as if the whole city had stopped to see their beloved Mayor accost the two of us.  
"Now Finn, what I tell ya last time, huh?" He crosses his arms over his chest while he talks. "First time in Goodneighbor, you lay off that extortion crap, you hear me?" His voice was strange, smooth but rough, like good bourbon. It tickled the back of my mind until I gave myself a mental shakedown. It reminded me of gravel crunching under shoes in the middle of the night.  
The man, Finn, steps towards the mayor, anger and disgust written plainly, and tries to get in his face. " You goin soft Hancock? She ain't one of us. Pretty damn soon you'll let just anyone come in these doors. Sooner or later one of 'ems gonna bring you down."  
Hancock chuckles darkly, and I see his body relax, shoulders dropping and rolling his neck. "Come here, Finn, lemme tell ya something," Finn leans in, and Hancock puts a hand on his shoulder, like he was gonna whisper into his ear. He glances over at me with a hint of mischief in his pitch eyes, and I see him flash out a blade, stabbing Finn once, twice in the gut until he falls over.  
"Now why'd you have to go and do that, eh? Breakin' my heart over here." He doesn't look so broken up as he leans down, using Finns shirt to clean his blood from the blade. Finn is still breathing, raggedly and with blood coming out of his mouth. Hancock turns around, away from the body, and I step up, pull my pistol out, firing one shot to the head of the dying man, holstering it before Hancock had the chance to turn around again.  
He looks at me more closely this time, as if actually paying attention to what he sees, studying me, sizing me up. I stand still, back straight and chin up, careful to keep my face expressionless while he does. _Take me in,_ I think. _I'm not giving **you** anything either. _  
Finally, he speaks. "Sorry 'bout that sister. Don't let that keep you from enjoying what this fine city has to offer. Goodneighbour is of the people, for the people, you feel me? Everyone's welcome, no matter what… Well, unless you're gonna pull shit like he did," he points a thumb over his shoulder at the dead body. "In which case you can turn right back around. John Hancock, mayor of Goodneighbor, at your service." He reaches his hand out to me, and I shake it firmly. A spark in his eye tells me he's thinking, brain working overtime, but I still keep my face as cold as I can manage. "What can I do for ya? Need a tour?"  
"I'll pass. Seemed small enough from the outside." I parse words with him, ready to be on my way. "If you don't mind…" I lead off, tipping my chin in the direction of the alley. His brow furrows, and something tells me he isn't used to being shut down so easily.  
"No problem. You need anything, you come find me. I handle all problems, _personally."_ His voice lowers to an almost sultry tone.  
" I'll keep that in mind." I'm already walking away before the words are out of my mouth.  
Almost to the corner of the building, I hear him call to me.  
"Wait a minute, I didn't catch your name there, sister." I pause, turning towards him with a ghost of a smile on my lips. "I didn't give it to you." I reply, and whisk myself around the corner and towards the inner workings of the city.


	4. Chapter 4

After my trip across the commonwealth, I was ready to take even five minutes to relax. You never really know when or if you can relax, but I needed some time to myself. After dealing with the hustler at the gate, seeing the way the "mayor" of Goodneighbor watched me, I was tired of being sized up. A quick walkthrough of the town revealed a few store fronts that I needed to stop at, a bar, a hotel, a place called "The Memory Den," and… not much else. I had surveyed around the outside walls a few times, so I don’t' know why I was surprised at the small amount of buildings. For such a reputation, it really didn't meet my expectations, save for all of the people sleeping in the streets and makeshift shelters at the edges. Suspiciously enough, all of the people I saw around me looked like raiders and gunners. I walked through the streets with my hand on my gun until I'm in the hotel. I understood the motto of the town, heard it before. "Of the people, for the people." I just didn't expect to see my enemies so closely and not be shot at same time. I wondered how I'd like it here as I entered the Hotel Rexford.  
Walking in, I'm hit with the faint but burning scent of chemicals, and two people arguing over drugs. The older man must have been trying to sell to the young woman, but I guessed she wasn't having it since she was shrieking at him. "I don't care what you say, you're shit ain't worth charging 100 caps, don't matter how much testing you do yourself." The man glared at her, going off about how he makes and tests all of his "products" and how that increases their value. "Like hell!" the woman spits, and almost knocks me over as she scrambled to get out the door. The man starts walking towards me, and I slip past him, not interested just yet in buying chems. The woman at the front counter rents me a room, and I head up the stairs, there's so many fucking stairs, and as I open my door, I hear a familiar voice behind me.  
"You?? But how??"  
I turn around, and closely examine the ruined face of the man behind me. Something about his voice and his clothes click in my mind, and suddenly I'm hit with a wave of recognition. "It's me! The Vault Tec rep! I can't believe you're still alive, have you been in the Vault this whole time?? They wouldn't even let me in, it was ridiculous. I AM Vault Tec!"  
I cross my arms, annoyed that my freedom was so close and I was missing it because of this man. "Trust me, you should be glad you didn't, the vault was a cryo-stasis experiment. I've been frozen this entire time."  
"And where's your family? Didn't you have a kid? A husband?" I feel my fist clench involuntarily, and fight to release it.  
"My husband was killed, and my son was stolen from the vault. That's why I'm out here, trying to find him."  
"At least you have a purpose!" I'm taken back by his disrespect, and almost clock him right there until I see the crestfallen look on his face. "Look at me! I'm a ghoul, for gods sake, a hideous ghoul. I have no job, no family, no friends. I'm useless now!" For another moment I want to knock his lights out. It's not the self-pity, but it's the disrespect to other ghouls. I put my hand up to stop him from saying anything else.  
"First of all, stop with the pity party. Being a ghoul doesn't mean you are suddenly fuckin useless. Man up a little." Like a sign from the heavens, I get a blip on my Pip-Boy, Sanctuary is needing another supply run. I decide to put this ghoul to good use. " How about this. I'm the General of the Minutemen. I build settlements, put people to work and help them survive. You go back to Sanctuary, where I used to live. Help out there. Talk to Preston Garvey and he can give you some work. Give you a," I use quotation marks, "purpose."  
He stands there, looking at me with his mouth hanging open, eyes wide like he can't believe what he's heard. I feel a growl in the back of my throat, and that seems to snap him out of it. He practically vibrates with excitement. I wonder if ghouls can cry, because he looks like the crying type. "Thank you so much!! Y-you would really let me work for you??" He reaches towards me, as if to hug me or even just to touch my arm, and I immediately recoil. "yes you can work for me. Go to Sanctuary, get work from Preston. I'll be up there in a week or so."  
I spin on my heels into my room as he still thanks me profusely, slamming the door shut behind me. I lean my back against the door, pushing all the breath out of me as I slide to the ground. A ragged gasp escapes me as I finally let myself relax, safe for the moment.  
It's been months since I left the vault, but I still was getting used to this new world. Violence wasn't new to me. I chuckled darkly. Not new to me at all. But fighting for my life every day against strangers, for nothing more than survival, this was new. It was also exhausting. I'd taken self defense classes before the war, and trained at a gun range for weeks. Being adept at combat didn't make me enjoy it more. But if it weren't for the fighting, I'd be more stressed out and pent up than I already am. In the shock of the new world I woke up to, I doubt I wouldn’t have survived at all if not for my blind rage.  
I gather myself, surveying my room swiftly. Broken down, like everything else in the Commonwealth, but livable. A huge bed, a desk, and a few other pieces of furniture hanging around. I decided that what I really needed right now was a drink. Remembering the bar that shared a building with the State House, I gather my stuff, clean up a little, and head back down to the lobby. As I try to slip past the desk, the chem pusher from earlier slides into my path. What the hell, why not? I hold my hand up to stop him from speaking.  
"Listen, I already heard the speech. I'm not paying 100 caps for anything. I'll give you 120 total, for mentats and day tripper; you can through in some jet upfront as payment for any job you need done. Take it or leave it."  
I stare at him and wait expectantly, and he opens and closes his mouth like a fish. Finally, he just shrugs, puts one hand out for payment, the other rifling through his pockets for my order. "The names Fred, by the way. And the job is simple, catch and retrieve type thing. An old, preWar Drinking Buddy, and I'd love to add it to my bar."  
I hold out my pip-boy out, and he puts the location in for me. "I'll be back with it in a week or so."  
He nods at me, and I slip through the door, out into the streets of Goodneighbor.


End file.
